Fire escape apparatus

ABSTRACT

A fire escape apparatus including a descending chain or ladder normally concealed within a weatherproof container and retained therein by readily releasable means.

United States Patent York [54] FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS [72] Inventor: James M. York, P.O. Box 176, South Elgin, Ill. 60177 [22] Filed: Jan. 11, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 105,360

[52] 0.8. CI ..182/70 [51] Int. Cl. ..A62b 1/20 [58] Field of Search ..182/70; 220/55 C [56] Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,300,870 4/1919 Plush ..182/70 51 May 23, 1972 2,230,786 2/1941 Sutt 182/70 2,287,344 6/1942 Easton ..220/55 C FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 4,691 2/ 1914 Great Britain ..182/70 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Elmer L. Zwickel ABSTRACT A fire escape apparatus including a descending chain or ladder normally concealed within a weatherproof container and retained therein by readily releasable means.

SCIainQADraWlngHguIes PATENTED MAY 2 3 um T O a w n I FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS .The invention relates to improvements in fire escape apparatus normally enclosed in a container designed for mounting on the exterior wall of a building and including readily releasable means to cause a descending chain or ladder to be released and ejected from the container. The descending chain or ladder includes hand hold means and means to facilitate its being wrapped around a person to assist lowering such person from an elevated position.

Prior known fire escape apparatus of the general type disclosed herein, such as that shown in the expired Plush US. Pat. No. 1,300,870 issued Apr. 15, 1919, embodies the use of a fiber rope, which is susceptible to fire, which is concealed normally in a casing that requires bodily displacement of the entire casing to effect release of the rope. Such known assemblage is subjected to wind pressures which could result in unintended bodily movement of the casing and the unintended release of the rope.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide fire escape apparatus of the character referred to.

Another object is to provide a fire escape apparatus with novel means to retain the descending chain concealed and protected from weather.

Another object is to provide a descending chain of the fire escape apparatus with means to facilitate securement of the chain about the body of a person.

Another object is to provide a fire escape apparatus that is not expensive or difficult to manufacture or install and which is very efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown attached to the outside wall of a building, and with the chain extended for use;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus; and,

FIGS. 3 and 4 each illustrate a modified means for securing the container closed.

Referring to the exemplary disclosure of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the apparatus includes a container 11 comprised of a cylindrical shell 12 and a header 13 having a mounting flange l4 integral therewith. This flange is bolted, as at l5, or otherwise secured firmly to the outside surface of an outside wall 16 of a building closely adjacent to a window opening therein. The shell 12 is open on its bottom end and is normally closed by a cap 17 that is removably secured by a headed rod 18 that extends upwardly through the shell 12 and is threadingly engaged in the header 13, as at 19.

The shell contains a chain 21 that has one end secured firmly to an eyelet bolt 22 screwed into the header as shown. The chain mounts at spaced intervals along its length balls or other units 23 that are useful as hand grips to prevent a user from sliding down the chain when the ladder is released from the container in a manner now to be described. Preferably these balls are made of heat resistent plastic.

In order to release the chain from the container, the headed rod 18 is unscrewed from header 13 whereupon the cap 17 is free to fall away and the chain 21 then drops down as indicated in FIG. 1, to afiord an escape route.

Preferably, a spring clip or othersuitable fastener 24 is attached to the free end of the chain so that the chain can be looped around the body of a child or invalid for purposes of lowering such person to the ground.

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of a removable pin 25 engaged with rod 18a which, when removed, allows the cap 17 to fall away and permit the chain to drop.

FIG. 4 illustrates a spring clip retainer 26 on the rod 181:. A pull string 27 may be attached to either the pin 25 or clip 26 to facilitate removal.

Although I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as details of the structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.

I claim:

1. A fire escape apparatus comprising, in combination, a header having a mounting flange to be rigidly secured to a fixed support, a circular flange depending from said header, a cylindrical shell secured in said depending flange and extending axially downwardly from the header, said shell having an open bottom end, a fire escape chain, an anchor for one end of said chain secured to the header within said shell, a removable bottom telescoped into the bottom of said shell arranged to retain the chain gathered within said shell, and means engageable with the header for retaining the bottom in place.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which a spring clip is attached to the free end of said chain.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which a plurality of plastic grips are attached to and spaced along the length of said chain.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the bottom retaining means comprises a headed rod.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the bottom retaining means comprises a rod that projects through the bottom and has removable means on its projecting end to secure the bottom in place.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which the removable means comprises a pin 7. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which the removable means comprises a spring clip.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which a pull string is attached to the removable means. 

1. A fire escape apparatus comprising, in combination, a header having a mounting flange to be rigidly secured to a fixed support, a circular flange depending from said header, a cylindrical shell secured in said depending flange and extending axially downwardly from the header, said shell having an open bottom end, a fire escape chain, an anchor for one end of said chain secured to the header within said shell, a removable bottom telescoped into the bottom of said shell arranged to retain the chain gathered within said shell, and means engageable with the header for retaining the bottom in place.
 2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which a spring clip is attached to the free end of said chain.
 3. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which a plurality of plastic grips are attached to and spaced along the length of said chain.
 4. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the bottom retaining means comprises a headed rod.
 5. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the bottom retaining means comprises a rod that projects through the bottom and has removable means on its projecting end to secure the bottom in place.
 6. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which the removable means comprises a pin .
 7. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which the removable means comprises a spring clip.
 8. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which a pull string is attached to the removable means. 